Bailer



W. ELLIOT.

BAILER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-24, 1920.

Patented Jan. 18,1921.

Inventor;

Halter illicit.

WALTER ELLIOT, or BICKNELL, CALIFORNIA.

BAILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed August 24, 1920. Serial No. 405,772.

To all whom it ma concern Be it known t at I, WALTER ELLIOT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bicknell, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bailers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates tobailers for wells. These bailers are largely used in the pro ducing of deep oil wells, for the purpose of removing or bailing out fluid such as water and mud, which accumulate in the well drilling operation. Such bailer-s are lowered into the well by suitable mechanism and devices in the derrick. When brought to the bottom of the well they are opened, preferably by a tripping operation controlled by contact with the bottom of the well hole. This allows the fluid in the well to enter the bailer, and upon the commencement of clevation or raising ofthe latter the bailer closes and entraps or impounds the fluid whereupon the bailer is hoisted to the mouth of the well and the contents discharged. Such bailers likewise frequently are provided with a trip device at the top, which is operated by the cable and hoist, so as to open the bailer at the'top when the bailer has arrived at the bottom of the well, and to close the bailer at the top when the hoisting away of the filledbailer begins. Thus the bailer, both at bottom and top, is automatically opened andclosed, first to permit inrush of fluid, and then to impound the same for elevation anddischarge. y

inasmuch as these .bailers are frequently used in wells of great de th, which wells, in oil well drilling are 0 ten developed to depth of from two thousand to five thousand feet, it results that the fluid is taken into. the bailers under considerable pressure, particularly in the commencing of the bailing operation, or in the earlier or successive bailing operations. It will be understood that it frequently requires many repetitions of the operation above stated, namely, the lowering o the bailers in tothe well and their filling and elevation and discharge. If a considerable column of fluid or semi-fluid stands in the well, the pressure at the bottom of the well, where the bailer is tripped, as described, to open it up, is relatively high. Furthermore, there is frequently gaseous pressure in the wells, which. augments the pressure due'to the standing column of fluid or semi-fluid. Thus the impounded fluid or spoil elevated by the bailer is contained within the bailer, subject to more or less pressure which in turn acts upon the trip mechanism above referred to and opposes the operation of such trip mechanism to free the contents of the bailer for discharge. The ordinary way in which such trip mechanism is freed is to allow the bottom trip mechanism to come into contact with the floor of the derrick by lowering the bailer and its contents abruptly. Often the pressure within the bailer is sufficient to entirely oppose any such operation, or at least to require successive attempts. The upper trip mechanism of course is equally stubborn in resisting attempts to operate it. Thus it will be seen that considerable delay is inci dent to the handling of such bailers in the derrick. Inasmuch as well drilling is an pensive operation and one entailing large investment, particularly in wells driven to great depths, any such loss of time, entailing the idleness of the shift of men working in the derrick, runs into money rapidly.

It is the object of the present in vcntion to provide a bailer with means whereby the pressure within the bailer may be relieved,

in a simple, quick and convenient manner, as soon as the bailer has been withdrawn from the well with its charge. In carrying out the invention I provide a relief valve meclr anism applied to or incorporated in the structure of the bailer, and which may be readily operated to permit discharge. from the bailer. of an initial quantity of its con tents, including any entrapped gas within the bailer. After this mitial discharge the pressure within the bailer is so reduced that the trip mechanism referred to may readily be, operated, permitting the contents of the bailer to be discharged. suitable conduit may be provided for conductingthe contents initially discharged, by the relief valve, to the sump or pit outside the derrick.

Quite frequently two bailer units are joined together, with trip devices at both top and bottom of the combined units. This provides of course a greater capacity for each bailing operation, and I find it con venient in such construction to dispose the relief valve mechanism of the invention where the two bailer units are swaged down in dimension for the purpose of joining. I employ relief valve mechanism as a union for joining the bailing units.

The invention has for further objects the provision of improved bailer mechanism of the character stated, which will be generally superior in point of simplicity and inexpensiveness, taken in conjunction with increased facility and convenience in use, du rability and reliability, and which will be generally superior in respect to saving of time and labor, efiiciency and serviceability.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawing and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a two-unit well bailer organized and constructed in accordance with and to embody the invention, the same being shown as suspended upon the hook at the lower end of a fragment of cable, which cable is used for raising and lowering the bailer device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the shell or casing of relief valve mechanism, shown in elevation in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, showing likewise the internal features;

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view, taken upon the line w*sc*, Fig. 3 and,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a wrench or implement for use in operating the relief valve mechanism of the invention.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, A designates the upper unit and B designates the lower unit of a two-unit well bailer, which units are shown as reduced or.

swaged down at their adjacent ends and joined together by relief valve mechanism C.

At the top of the bailer unit A are a check valve and its seat a, the valve being mounted upon a trip head 6 which is perforated as at 7 for the reception of a hook 8 carried by the cable 9, which hook and cable are used to raise and lower the bailer in the well. At the lower end of the lower bailer unit B are provided a check valve and its seat I), the valve being mounted upon a similar trip head 10. Downward movement of the trip head 6 unseats the check valve at a, and upward movement of the trip head 10 unseats the check valve at I). These features are matters of common or preferred practice, and it will be understood that the two units A and B communicate with each other through the relief valve mechanism C, and are adapted to contain the fluid or semi-fluid to be elevated from the well.

The casin or shell 11 of the trip valve mechanism is annular and is internally threaded at 12 at top and bottom, so that it may be screwed on to the respective ends of the units A and B. In its middle portion such shell is provided with an adjustable valve 13 preferably in the form of a stem having a reduced working end portion 13, the stem 13 having a threaded opposite end or shank 13", the threads of which cooperate with the threaded opening 13 in the shell 11; such shank having a square recess or pocket 13 to receive the squared end 14: of a wrench or similar implement 14. When the squared end 14 is inserted in the recess 13 the stem 13 may be turned and adjusted lengthwise by means of the ('0- operating threads on the shank 13" and at the threaded opening 13. This causes the stem 13 to be advanced or retracted radially of and within the casing 11, whereby its head 13 may be caused to approach, engage with, or be retracted from a valve seat 13 consisting of a tubular nipple 13 threaded as at 13 into an opening in the shell 11 diametrically opposite the threaded opening 13 threaded as at l3 for the reception of a hose plug 13 at one end of a hose 15.

In the operation of the invention, the bailer, either of the two-unit type, as shown in the drawing, or of other type, suitably .I'

provided with relief valve mechanism sue 1 as G, is lowered into the well. hen it reaches the bottom of the well the trip head 10 unseats the check valve at b, and the relieving of the suspension strain upon the trip head 6 permits the check valve to unseat at a. Fluid, semi-fluid and gas there upon rush into the bailer, both at top and bottom, and when the bailer is hoisted away, the check valve at b automatically seats when elevated from the bottom of the well, and the check valve at a automatically seats when elevating strain is put upon the trip head 6. The trapped or impounded contents of the bailer is now raised to the mouth of the well, such contents being under or having such inherent or self-contained pressure as determined by the pressure in the well at the zone where the bailer was filled.

Up to this point, the relief valve 13 has been seated, its head 13 being in contact with the seat 13. If, now, any material resistance is opposed to the unseating of the check valve at b, the wrench 14 is employed to turn the stem 13 and unseat the same, permitting the pressure in the bailer to be relieved by an initial discharge through the nipple 13. Prior to this discharge the hose 15 may of course be applied to the nipple 13 by the plug 13*. Through such hose the discharged contents may be directed to the sump or pit. It will now be found easy to unseat the check valve at b, and the check valve at a will open of its own accord so that the contents may be discharged from The nipple 13 may be internally ll ll l U Q l l U the bailer as desired, and at either end. Preparatory to again introducing the bailer within the well hole, the valve 13 is operated to seat its head. The hose 15 is of course removed after relieving the pressure as described, and at least before lowering the bailer into the well for a further char e.

-The valve 13 is always seated when t e bailer is in the well hole, and may be seated immediately after the pressure-relieving operation takes place.

The entire device is simple and compact in form, the features of improvement incident to the invention not adding materially to size or weight and not in any way inter fering with the use of the bailer. The em ployment of the invention assists materially in speedy bailer discharge, saving much time otherwise lost in attempting to release the contents of the bailer as charged in the well hole under pressure. The device is likewise convenient to operate.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made, with respect to the construction shown in the drawings and disclosed in the foregoing description, all without departing from the true spirit of the invention, and as may be required or desired in adapting the invention to varying conditions of use and service.

Havin thus disclosed my invention, I claim an desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A bailer, comprising a tubular body provided at one end with an opening and a check valve for the opening, such bailer being provided at one side with an opening, and a valve for said last named opening; said last-named Valve comprising a valve stem adapted to be adjusted transversely of the bailer.

2. A bailer comprising a tubular body provided at one end with an opening and a check valve for the opening, such bailer being provided at one side with an opening, and a valve for said last named opening; said last-named valve comprising a valve stem adapted to be adjusted transversely of the bailer and being threadedly mounted whereby it may be turned to produce endwise movement.

3. A bailer provided with a tubular body and having at one side an opening and provided with a transverse internal valve controlling said opening, said valve being adjustably mounted and having a portion presented laterall of the bailer for the reception of an imp. ement to adjust the same.

4. A bailer provided with a tubular body and having at one side an opening and provided with a transverse internal valve con trolling said opening, said valve being adjustably mounted and having a portion presented laterally of the bailer for the reception of an implement to adjust the same; said valve being threadedly mounted.

5. A bailer provided with a lateral opening having means for receiving a hose connection, and a valve controlling said opening.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER ELLIOT.

Witnesses:

E. D. Sworn), JULIA DE LUOOHI. 

